Quiz: Howstuffworks

Can We Guess What Language You Spoke in a Past Life?

Zoe Samuel

Image: Bartosz Hadyniak/E+/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Past lives creates a lot of opportunities to speak languages other than modern English. Indeed, if you look back in time, you will find that even languages themselves evolve, becoming unrecognizable over time. Not only did modern English evolve from a Germanic language mixed with medieval French, some historians believe that the English of Elizabethan England spoke with something that would, to modern ears, sound like a Jamaican accent. French, likewise, traces its roots to Romance, an earlier Frankish tongue. Spanish spawned Ladino, a medieval dialect still spoken in some communities in Morocco. Chinese of course comes in many flavors, with classical, written Chinese in one corner, and the myriad dialects of the spoken language everywhere else. Indigenous peoples from Australia to Arizona have languages whose ancient ancestors are lost to history, for they did not have written language and thus, no Rosetta Stone.

In your past life, it's likely that you were from some place that spoke a language you don't speak now, and may never be able to learn. It is curious, since the languages we speak are proven to impact the way we think about things; people who speak languages with male and female tenses will refer to nouns deemed female with feminine adjectives and male objects with male ones, meaning the speaker of one language may call a bridge "strong" while another would call it "graceful". Are you ready to find out what tongue was in your mouth in a past life? Take this quiz and find out!

What do you think constitutes a great accomplishment for a nation's government?

Conquest!

Adaptation to the environment

Longstanding philosophical contributions

A consistent push toward small L liberal democracy

Which of these is closest to your current mother tongue?

Italian

Aymara

Mandarin

English

How do you feel when confronted with a mystery, like seeing a magic trick?

I must know how it is done! It bothers me!

I am delighted!

I want to see it again!

I question my understanding of everything else!

What is the most esoteric sort of book you've read?

Ancient biography

A book on architecture

A book on ancient political strategy

A cookbook from the middle ages

How would you feel if you were the head of a company that became an industry hegemon, like Pfizer, Facebook, or General Motors?

I would feel like it was destiny.

I would feel like I should expand and expand until something stopped me.

I would feel like I should keep my company in my lane.

I would want to spread the reach of my company, even if we keep the HQ humble.

How long is your fuse?

Very short

Somewhat short

It's fully situational.

Very long

How many languages do you speak?

5

4

1

3

What are your thoughts about your neighbors?

I shall conquer them!

The older ones are great, but I do not like the new ones.

I don't trust them.

They are my friends!

How do you feel about ideas spoken, versus ideas written down?

I love writing my ideas down!

I never write anything down.

I took so long to learn to write, I'm gonna write!

I like a mix.

Which of these fears do you feel the most?

I fear that I'll mess up my own life without the aid of outside intervention.

I fear that nothing I do will be remembered!

Being destroyed by the powerful

Not being as good a person as I could be

How successful do you feel?

Very

Less than I'd like

More than I expected

About the right amount

What's your idea of a good time?

Conjugating verbs

Building roads

Writing stories

Meeting people

How do you keep your friends close?

I send them thoughtful notes.

I invite them to visit.

I send thoughtful gifts.

I give them compliments.

What industry do you find the most interesting?

The arts

Construction

Finance

Tech

What style of art do you like the most?

Old Masters paintings

Baroque paintings

Sculpting

Architecture

Which of these sports do you think you'd like the most?

Track and field

Soccer

Martial arts

Rowing

Which historical era do you find the most fascinating?

Classical period

Columbian Exchange

Ming Dynasty

Renaissance

Which monument do you find the most inspiring?

Colosseum

Macchu Pichu

Great Wall of China

Little Mermaid statue

How do you feel about your nation's government?

It's ridiculous and weak.

It's corrupt and silly.

It's overbearing and tyrannical.

It's actually great.

How do you feel about the study of dead languages today?

It's quite helpful, so I am for it.

It's not helpful, which is why it is important.

I'm totally against it!

It's nice but not essential.

What kind of music do you like best?

Classical

Samba

Shidaiqu

Metal

If you were to learn a second language or have already done so, what language would it be, or is it?

Spanish

Portuguese

English

French

How do you prefer to write important things you need to carry with you?

Pen and notebook

Speak them into my phone

Type them in my phone

Record a video

Which school of philosophy do you find most appealing?

Aristotelian

Nihilism

Taoism

Existentialism

How geographically scattered is your family?

Extremely

Not at all

A little

Very

How far away from your home town is the home town of your romantic partner?

10 miles

1,000 miles

It's the same town.

50 miles

How do you feel about strangers from other lands?

I have nothing but contempt for them.

I'm wary but welcoming.

I don't feel strongly.

I love them!

How long are your office hours?

On the shorter side

Quite short

The longest

Middling

How do you express yourself creatively?

Painting

Sculpting

Writing

Singing

How many past lives do you think you've lived?

3

5

25

1

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